Just Watched Hollows Grove You Never Get Out! Made Me JUMP Twice

HOLLOWS GROVE

Y o u N e v
e r G e t O u t

Written and
Directed

by

Craig Efros

Starring

Mykelti Williamson

Lance Henriksen

Matt Doherty

Sunkrish Bala

Bresha Webb

Val Morrison

Matt Carey

Synopsis:

In HOLLOWS GROVE, a young filmmaker, Harold
Maxwell, is doing a behind-the-scenes documentary on his ghost hunting
reality show friends, the Spirit and Paranormal Investigation Team,
(S.P.I.T.), as they prepare for their next assignment. Harold and the S.P.I.T crew
head out to film an old, abandoned and supposedly haunted orphanage,
Hollows Grove. Soon after arriving at the orphanage the team begins to
realize that what they thought would be a routine investigation is turning
in to a nightmare from which they cannot escape.

Tag Line: You Never Get Out

The 411 by Maria:

We love horror movies but especially this new genre of takes on reality ghost shows where investigators head into various locations and give you a history of what happened there as well as their investigation. I am not going to lie; I am a big fan of these types of shows.

In Hollows Grove a bunch a paranormal investigation team explore an abandoned, haunted orphanage. It takes a while before the "real" ghosts show up (midway through the movie). Before that the team are setting up their shots and scaring each other.

I definitely jump twice but shook about 5 times and I think that was because of the audio. There was a lot of whispering or low talking and suddenly there would be the loudest sound.

The effects of the "ghost children" were fair but part of me wishes there was more interaction.

The coolest scene shows about 5 or 6 children walking toward the investigators but only one of them can see it.

Bravo Craig. I loved it!

Craig Efros on Hollows
Grove

I have been a fan of horror films for as long as
I can remember. My love for this genre began at a young age. Forbidden by
my parents to watch scary movies they would sometimes play at night, I
would creep out of my bedroom, hide behind their couch and catch thrilling
sneak peeks of the gruesome films that played on their small tube TV.

Horror turned into an addiction for me, and
I was enamored by the directors, actors and make-up artists who worked on these
films. I got a subscription to Fangoria Magazine and would spend hours reading
the articles and staring at the ghoulish pictures. I loved the films of
the 80’s that provided a bit of camp, humor and scares all rolled into one
lasting impression. These images would be etched into my brain like
nightmares brought to life.

As time progressed, I was drawn into films that
gave me chills while haunting the deeper parts of the imagination, films like:
David Cronenberg’s “The Brood”, ”The Changeling” with George C. Scott, and
Guillermo Del Toro’s” The Devil’s Backbone.” It was not the shock value,
but the uneasiness left by viewing these movies that would stay with me for
days on end.

Horror evolved into the “found footage” genre of
the late 90’s through to the present. Films like: “The Blair Witch
Project”,” Rec”, and “Paranormal Activity”, really made found footage a true
landscape which engulfed the audience in terror in a much more intimate
setting. That intimacy was what drew me to these movies.

The camp and humor I liked from the 80’s, along
with the chills from the later films I grew to love, and the use of found
footage, was a unique combination and gave me the impetus to make “Hollows
Grove.”

What Inspired “Hollows Grove”

When I was younger, I watched the ”Miracle
Worker” with Anne Bancroft. There were scenes that stood out to me. For
example, there was the time when Anne Bancroft’s character, Annie Sullivan,
recounted when Annie and her brother were placed in the Tewksbury Almshouse.
The flashbacks of the Almshouse, shot grainy and blurry, would sometimes
overlap Annie’s face while her description of the horrors that happened to her
and her brother, stayed with me. I would envision their plight, culminating in
the sad death of her brother. Since then, the thought of being left as a child
in the care of people who were apathetic or who surrounded troubled youth with
other derelicts in unsafe conditions, has given me feelings of dread. I
imagined what the ghosts of these children would be like; those that were
tortured or not cared for by others. In life these children would be
unable to defend themselves or speak up…but in death, in death they could
finally take out their long gestating rage, even if it is misplaced.

I always find myself a skeptic when watching
“Reality Ghost Shows.” It is not because I don’t necessarily believe
in ghosts, but because I see these “ghost hunters” reacting almost
comically to what they can’t see by using: quick cuts, slow replays and faint
sounds to get the audience to believe, that what they are seeing is real. This
is modern day “smoke and mirrors” done with camera tricks and editing. Many
times it feels as though the Hunters themselves don’t really believe in what
they’re doing. This has always interested me and I wanted to know what the
“behind the scenes” were like. Was it all a put on? If so, did they feel any
remorse for lying? What would happen to these Paranormal Detectives if they
really discovered the Ghosts they always claim to be seeking?

These thoughts are what inspired me to write
“Hollows Grove” and delve deeper into these questions.

The Cast

It was important to find a cast that could
deliver the subtleties of on screen “Reality Show” actors, while at the same
time portraying behind the scenes co-workers; with some having been longtime
friends. This was made more challenging in that many of these scenes had
extremely long takes.

We knew we needed someone special for Bill. Our
Casting Director, Jami Rudofsky, had gone through lists of names and people.
When we thought about Lance Henriksen (Near Dark, Aliens), it was a perfect
fit. For me, it was a dream come true to work with such a strong, talented and
seasoned Horror Icon. I had watched Lance’s films as a kid and I was always
mesmerized by his deep voice and that magnetic stare. We were privileged
to have those attributes in ”Hollows Grove.”

For the bookends of the film, I wanted someone
who could convey the part of the FBI Agent with sincerity. The sincerity itself
lends camp to the opening and closing, while still establishing how the footage
was found. That sincerity was delivered by Mykelti Wiliamson (“Heat,” “Forrest
Gump”.)

The first time I talked to Matt Doherty (“So I
Married an Axe Murderer,” “The Mighty Ducks”) on the phone, we connected
immediately. Matt has been doing film and theater his whole life and it shows.
Matt was able to get into the role of the fearless leader Tim without
restraint, and Matt’s insight into the rationale for the characters and
relationships helped build believable situations.

Sunkrish Bala (“The Walking Dead”) as Roger,
brought a lightness and energy to the set and could play both ends of the
emotional spectrum well. He balanced comedic delivery with frenzied reactions
to the evils that emerged. Sunkrish was always a pleasure to have around
and was willing to do anything that the role demanded.

Bresha Webb, (“Grey’s Anatomy”, “ER”) was
perfect as Julie. She needed to be one of the guys, but also show the
ability to assert herself; while still keeping her grace, which she
accomplished wholeheartedly. Bresha understood what was needed of the character
and became totally involved, even when the result was, “possession.”

I have known Val Morrision for a long time. I
knew that he was natural and comfortable at acting and had looks to match. He
just needed a stage and a character to show it, and as Chad he shines.

Matt Carey, (“Sound Of My Voice,” Old School”)
played his part well as Harold, an affable character on the sidelines, who is
along for the ride, but blatantly shows his emotion behind the camera.

The Location

We shot “Hollows Grove” at the infamous Linda
Vista Hospital near Downtown Los Angeles. Linda Vista was built in 1904,
and was closed as a working Hospital in 1991.

Initially, when Sid, the DP saw my
script, the first location that came to his mind was Linda Vista. I guess it
was fate.

I had worked on many shows, but had never
actually shot there. Linda Vista has been used for many films and TV
shows including actual Ghost Reality Shows.

The moment I saw the hallways for Linda Vista, I
knew that was it. The rounded ceilings with period lights, the
large width and the depth of the hallways, gave me goose bumps. This was
to be our production home.

Linda Vista has a long history of
hauntings. The crew itself was wary of the building and many would
not venture off alone into its darker areas. We were told that the building was
not occupied by anyone other than our crew. Some of the crew seemed to
experience strange occurrences. A crewmember said that while
standing alone in a stairwell, a piece of wood fell from out of nowhere,
missing his head by inches. Another crewmember said that he had ventured off to
an upper floor where a man appeared from out of nowhere, a man he had
never seen before or after, asked him why he was up there and then
disappeared.

The Look of the Film

It was important to get a crew that
understood the concept and the amount of hard work that would go into each
scene. I had worked with Sid Sidell (“Lie to Me”, “Legends”) before, and I knew
he was talented and grasped what the script was aiming for. Since we had very
long takes where anything from animals and special f/x would happen in tandem,
I needed someone who would know how to catch the action, and that was
Sid. Early on in the process I discussed with Sid the idea that the
main documentary camera should have a wide angle. Referencing what we
both loved about the way the hallways in “The Shining” were shot, Sid agreed.
Viewing the hallways in wide angle, always gives more tension to the scenes,
causing the audience to fear that anything could be lying outside of the
periphery.

Comics have always influenced me. Those
particularly, by EC Comics both Horror and Sci-Fi, and the stark contrast that
some of the panels provided by artists such as: Al Feldstein, Wally Wood, and
Harvey Kurtzman, played heavily into our use of lighting. We had to orchestrate
many of the lights in the building to go on and off, and give
the appearance that the building itself was wearing down. It was Chris
Strong, (“Zodiac,” Seven,”) our Gaffer, who could make the lights play as we wanted
and give the ghosts light and dark through which to play.

Lastly, for the film, I wanted to bring the
audience into Harold’s camera viewpoint. In the beginning scenes of the film,
Harold and his camera are documentary outsiders, and the audience is peering at
a distance. As Harold gets more comfortable with the crew, he and his
camera move in closer to the action. Eventually, given the chance to take
over the position of show cameraman, Harold moves even closer to the action,
until he becomes part of it.

The Sound

Sound was the key element of “Hollows Grove” as
it is in most Horror Films. It was imperative to ”Hollows Grove” because there
is no actual musical score to the film. During filming, I stressed how
“Hollows Grove” itself was alive, and the way we would convey this, was through
the sound. The “Hollows Grove” soundtrack is composed of groans,
rattling and effects that the Orphanage itself provides. I made
sure the actors knew when and what they were listening to, as there were a
lot of sound references in the script. Sam Bauer, our editor,
was instrumental in helping lay out the initial sound design. Sam
understood what I was aiming for from the beginning and many of Sam’s temporary
sound effects made it into the final mix.

The Visual Effects

We were lucky enough to get Mechnology to sign
on to do our visual effects which were overseen by Stephen Lebed. I’m a fan of
practical effects, and I was hoping to use as little visual effects
as possible, and we were able to accomplish that to a large degree. Where
needed, Stephen and his team helped take what we had and enhance the visuals
tenfold. Their work was so great, that much of what they did is effective,
but actually, unseen.

The Music

Like the score itself we had almost no
music. It was important for me to try and be as real with the constraints
of the documentary as possible; therefore most of the music fits into spaces
where they could actually be in a real situation.

The main song that was important was
the children’s song. Sam Bauer, our editor and talented musician
accompanied by Gillian Efros (my sister) a graduate of UCLA ethnomusicology and
a Jazz singer, worked together to create the ominous children’s song at the end
of the film. It serves to tell a story and create an ominous and
foreboding mood.

We were also lucky to have the music of Awaken
the Empire, which was formed in 2009 by Damien Lawson. With somber yet
forceful rock music they finish the film in a powerful manner with their song
“Savior”.

The Filmmakers

Craig Efros (Director/Writer)

Craig has always been a student of Television,
Film, Theater and horror, first as a young kid hiding in the shadows sneaking
peaks at horror films his parents were watching, then to making his own short
films as a child, through to studying film in college.
After majoring in Film Studies at U.C.S.B.,
Craig started working in Post Production. For over a
decade, Craig worked in production on various film and television shows while
planning his own projects and writing scripts.

Craig started making short films at a young
age. A recent short film of his was exhibited at
festivals. As a child, Craig was so enthralled by directors, make-up
artists and creature creations, he had a subscription to Fangoria Magazine.
This fascination with film and horror has led to his directorial debut:
"Hollows Grove."

Mel Efros (Producer)

Mel started his career after receiving an
M.A, in Theater Arts and Cinema from U.C.L.A. Mel has worked in film
productions all over the World. He began as an Assistant Director on Summer
of 42, Diamonds are Forever, The Mechanic, and White
Lightning. As a Producer, Mel's T.V. credits include: Lois and Clark,
Gilmore Girls, Wanted, and most recently, Franklin
and Bash. Some of his feature producing credits include: Star
Trek V, It Takes Two and Switchback. Mel has
always wanted to work on a project where he was totally involved in the entire
creative process. Hollows Grove has given him this opportunity.

Sidney Sidell (DP)

Sidney has been a Cinematographer for the past
18 years and has worked in the Camera Department for over 33 years.
Presently he is working in Television. He has also worked extensively on
Motion Pictures and Commercials. To date, Sidney has photographed hundreds of
Commercials, several Movies as well as numerous Television Pilots and
Series.

Throughout his career, Sidney has had the
fortune to work alongside some of the most talented filmmakers in the world and
as a Cinematographer, he has taken those experiences and coupled them with his
own artistic and professional sensibilities to tell stories and create images
that are acknowledged by his peers

The Cast

Mykelti Williamson (F.B.I. Agent Jones)

Perhaps best remembered for his touching
performance as "Bubba" opposite Tom Hanks in the Academy
Award-winning Forrest Gump, Mykelti Williamson is one of the most
sought-after actors in Hollywood, who has been steadily honing his craft since
he first began acting professionally at the age of 18.

The son of an Air Force Staff Sergeant (father)
and certified public accountant (mother), Williamson was born in St. Louis, MO,
and began performing on the stage at the age of 9. Like many youngsters, he was
enamored with the concept of television, and thought that the images he was
seeing on the small screen were reality. It wasn't until his mother put him in
a church play that he realized that what the people on the small screen were
doing was performing. He was instantly hooked. At the age of 15, Williamson and
his family settled in Los Angeles. A superb athlete, he excelled at both football
and basketball, but the acting bug led him to quit sports and dance with the
cheerleading squad, much to the chagrin of his coaches.

Following graduation, Williamson began acting
professionally, making appearances on television shows such as Starsky and
Hutch, Hill Street Blues and China Beach, among others. He made his
film debut in the Walter Hill-directed feature Streets of Fire, opposite
Diane Lane, Michael Paré and Willem Dafoe.

He would subsequently appear in the feature The
First Power with Lou Diamond Phillips, Miracle Mile with Anthony
Edwards and Mare Winningham, Number One with a Bullet, Wildcats and
Free Willy.

Williamson was also seen in Mike Nichols'
political drama Primary Colors (a cameo appearance which he did as a
personal favor to Nichols and John Travolta) and Three Kings, opposite
George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube.

In 1996 Williamson returned to television when
he starred opposite Delroy Lindo and Blair Underwood in the critically
acclaimed HBO telefilm Soul of the Game and received rave reviews for
his stirring portrayal of legendary Negro League baseball legend Josh Gibson.
Williamson also starred in Buffalo Soldiers for TNT and 12 Angry Men
for Showtime, as well as starring in the cable network's series The Hoop Life.

An avid sports fan and devoted family man,
Williamson enjoys restoring classic cars and rodeoing in his free time. He
currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two of his three daughters.

Named by his grandfather for 'Spirit' or 'Silent
Friend' in the language of Blackfeet Indians, Mykelti Williamson has quietly
built a reputation in Hollywood as one of the most consistently proven actors
in the business, delivering stirring and honest performances that always
capture audiences.

Lance Henriksen (Bill)

Lance has starred in a wide variety of films and
television projects, which exemplify the diversity of his talent. He has worked
with some of the most prominent directors in the motion picture industry,
including Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Sidney Lumet, Jim Jarmush, Kathryn
Bigelow, John Woo, Paul W. S. Anderson and Sam Raimi.

Henriksen has a number of films soon to be
released, including the leading role in the first live action film by Japanese
National Treasure Mamuro Oshii: Garm Wars: The Last Druid. He also will
appear in Kids vs Monsters starring opposite Malcolm McDowell, Armand
Assante and Francesca Eastwood. Other titles to look forward to: the Max Landis
film Me Him Her with Geena Davis, Haley Joel Osment and Scott Bakula and
Daylight’s End with Johnny Strong.

Born in New York, Henriksen studied at the
Actors Studio and began his career Off Broadway in Eugene O'Neill's Three
Plays of the Sea. One of his first film appearances was for director Sidney
Lumet in Dog Day Afternoon, followed by Lumet's Network and Prince
of the City. Henriksen then appeared in Steven Spielberg's Close
Encounters of the Third Kind with Richard Dreyfuss and Francois Truffaut, Damien:
Omen II and director Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff, in which
Henriksen portrayed Mercury astronaut Lieutenant Commander Walter Schirra, Jr.

James Cameron cast Henriksen in his first
directorial effort, Piranha Part Two: The Spawning, followed by The
Terminator, and he next featured him as android 'Bishop' in the sci-fi
classic, Aliens. Director Sam Raimi, who cast the actor in The Quick
and the Dead opposite Russell Crowe, Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman, says,
"Lance is a brilliant performer who goes way beyond acting. He becomes his
character completely, leaving no trace of his former self and making something
of every moment on screen."

Henriksen's additional feature credits include
Kathryn Bigelow's cult vampire film Near Dark, Jagged Edge, Pumpkinhead,
The Horror Show, Survival Quest, director Walter Hill's Johnny
Handsome, The Pit and the Pendulum, writer/director Bruce Robinson's
Jennifer Eight, Alien 3, director Richard Rush's Color of
Night, Powder, writer/director Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man,
Disney's animated feature Tarzan and director John Woo's first American
film, Hard Target, for which Henriksen received a Saturn Award as Best
Supporting Actor. He was also seen in Twentieth Century Fox's release, AVP:
Alien Versus Predator, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and produced by John
Davis.

Henriksen starred in Dreamworks and TNT's
12-hour miniseries Into the West, executive produced by Steven
Spielberg. He also starred for three seasons on Millennium, Fox-TV's
critically acclaimed series created by Chris Carter (The X-Files).
Henriksen's performance as 'Frank Black,' a retired FBI agent who has the
ability to get inside the minds of killers, garnered three consecutive Golden
Globe nominations for "Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama
Series" and a People's Choice Award nomination for "Favorite New TV
Male Star." He was also nominated for a Golden Satellite Award for his
portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in the TNT original film The Day Lincoln Was
Shot.

In addition to his abilities as an actor,
Henriksen is an accomplished painter and potter. His talent as a ceramist has
enabled him to create some of the most unusual ceramic artwork available on the
art market today. Henriksen resides in Southern California.

Matt Doherty (Tim Royce)

Matt has worked in film, television, and on
stage for over twenty years. He began doing commercials as a kid out of Chicago
and got his big break as Averman in The Mighty Ducks franchise.
He left the business for a while to attend Northwestern University where
he studied Creative Writing and Theatre. He went on to work on such shows as Grey's
Anatomy, CSI, Bones, and most recently Franklin and Bash. Other
credits include So I Married an Axe Murderer, Ghost World, Argo, CSI Miami,
ER, Felicity, and, Boston Public. In addition to being an
accomplished actor, Matt also writes and records folk music in the Americana
tradition as well as writes for the stage and screen. He has had his plays
performed in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He’s also a lifetime member of
The Actor's Studio. Currently, Matt is putting the polish on several
original pieces for film and television.

Sunkrish Bala (Roger Rafkin)

Sunkrish Bala was born in India and raised in
California; he was most recently seen as Dr. Caleb Subramanian on AMC’s The
Walking Dead. Earlier this year, Sunkrish recurred as Andy on the third season
of Showtime’s hit Shameless.

A graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Bala
started working on his television career while still attending college. He
quickly garnered memorable guest starring roles on hit shows such as Awkward,
Grey’s Anatomy, Body of Proof, NCIS: LA, Bones, Lie to Me, Mistresses, and Will
& Grace. Sunkrish gained notoriety in the role of Bobby – the
cantankerous bodega owner - in MTV’s I Just Want My Pants Back, directed
by Doug Liman. Previously, for two seasons, Bala starred in the ABC primetime
comedy, Notes from the Underbelly, about a group of friends who are
experiencing the adventures of parenthood for the first time.

When Sunkrish isn’t surviving the zombie
apocalypse, he lives in Los Angeles.

Bresha Webb (Julie Mercade)

Bresha made a name for herself over the last few
years through the vibrant characters she’s brought to life on screen. Since
2010, she has been making audiences laugh on the TVOne series “Love That Girl!”
starring as sassy and fabulous “Imunique.” The show follows her character’s
daily life, hilarious living situation, and her career at Del Jones
Realty. Most recently, Bresha took her talent to the ABC hit series
“Grey’s Anatomy” appearing alongside Sarah Drew and Chandra Wilson, playing the
role of a mother whose child has severe immunodeficiency syndrome also known as
the “Bubble Disease."

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Bresha
always knew she wanted to be an actress. From eight to eighteen years old, she
attended the prestigious Baltimore School for the Arts, where she was immersed
in theater, dance, music, and a challenging academic curriculum. She excelled
in theater and dance, starring in Fences and Le Blancs, while
also securing the NAACP ACT-SO Award while in high school. Bresha knew her
calling was to be in Los Angeles where she could really hone and perfect her
craft. She attended the California Institute of the Arts, where she gained
admittance after just one audition. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts, and
a week after graduation, started booking jobs. Bresha, landed roles on
Lifetime’s State of Mind, FOX’s KVille, and ABC Family’s Lincoln
Heights, to name a few.

Her guest star roles were a great introduction
into the television world, and got her feet wet with a variety of projects and
different genres. In 2008, she landed the role of “Penny” in The American
Mall for MTV, a romantic musical comedy set at a mall and focused on the
relationship between two young musicians. The movie was created by the team
behind Disney’s High School Musical. It was Bresha’s first time singing
and dancing on television. 2008-09 was Bresha’s break out year, as she landed
the role of Dr. Laverne St. John on the hit television series ER.

For two seasons, she worked opposite Angela
Bassett and Mekhi Phifer in a dramatic role where she portrayed a strong
willed, forthright, witty and uptight doctor. Additional credits include: HBO’s
Hung, ABC’s Private Practice, Showtime’s Weeds, FX’s Dirt,
and TNT’s Raising the Bar. In the comedy world, Bresha made a splash
appearing on the FOX sketch comedy show In the Flow with Affion Crockett,
produced by Jamie Foxx. Although the show was not on the air long, it gave
Bresha the chance to showcase her talent outside of the dramatic roles she had
previously portrayed.

Today, comedy remains one of her hobbies and
passions, as she performs stand-up across the country. She also completed the
Kevin Hart pilot, Keeping it Together for ABC and a six episode arc on Grey’s
Anatomy. When not working, Bresha has a big place in her heart for
philanthropy and gives back to her community.

She has volunteered with the Black AIDS
Institute, working to generate HIV awareness for the African American
community. She also supports Dress for Success, a nonprofit organization
that provides interview suits, confidence boosts, and career development to
low-income women in over 75 cities worldwide. Bresha currently lives in the Los
Angeles area with her Chihuahua-mini pincher mix rescue dog Little Foot, who
has become a celebrity herself, making appearances regularly on Love That
Girl!

Val Marijan Morrison (Chad Groan)

Val came to the U.S. with his family as
refugees from war torn Eastern Europe. He started as a young actor in
various theater productions and after High School, Val moved to New
York City where he performed in numerous Off Broadway productions, while
also working as a Runway Model.

In 2001, Val was cast as Oliver Preston on Days
of Our Lives, which prompted his move to Los Angeles. In L.A., Val has
leant his talent to multiple films, television shows and voice-overs for Video
Games. Currently, he lives with his fiancé in Los Angeles.